


Manifold

by burrfication



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Getting Together, M/M, Trans Aaron Burr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 03:12:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17378486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burrfication/pseuds/burrfication
Summary: After a lifetime spent on space stations and interstellar ships, Alexander Hamilton visits Earth for the first time. Much to his surprise, his time on the planet teaches him as much about himself as it does about humanity.A Sci-Fi AU, set in an original scifi setting I've been playing around with for a little while. Inspired by multiple scifi media, but also by thinking too long about interstellar travel.





	Manifold

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing in an original sci fi verse, and I'll be blunt: some of the exposure is clumsy and heavy handed. Feel free to tell me if things don't work.

The shuttle shuddered as it passed down through the layers of atmosphere. Alexander's stomach rolled. He was used to the lurch that came with dropping out of a hyper-manifold into ordinary spacetime, even if it made most people shudder and complain of headaches. He was comfortable on multi-species stations, even if the gravity was lighter than a human should prefer. Not even gravity inversions phased him (at least, not so long as everything was secured). But the turbulence in the shuttle was something Alexander had never experienced before, and it terrified him.

A particularly strong jerk made him wince. When he opened his eyes, one of his fellow students was staring at him. Alexander scowled at him, but Aaron did not look away. It was typical of Aaron, Alexander thought. They were rivals as much as they were friends, and Aaron Burr was willing to do whatever it took to get ahead. He was ruthless. He was friendly, and likable, but Alexander knew Aaron would turn on most of his so-called friends without a moment of regret. He had seen it happen all too often. Given his history, it was not hard for Alexander to imagine why Aaron's dark eyes tracked his every movement.

"You've never been Earthside before, have you?" Aaron asked quietly. Alexander bristled. It was bad enough that Aaron was watching and cataloguing his weaknesses. The last thing he needed was for Aaron to gloat. But before Alexander could say something, the shuttle jolted again. An undignified squeak slipped out of Alexander's mouth, and after a moment he realised he had squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, Aaron was watching him with that same unreadable expression.

"It's just turbulence. The troposphere is always like this, but we'll be on the ground soon. Just think about what you'll do when we land."

There was a smile on Aaron's face, and his tone was oddly soothing. If Alexander didn't know better, he would haves thought Aaron was trying to comfort him. He kept talking after that, telling Alexander all about how he planned on catching up with his friends and spending time in the countryside. If he was trying to distract Alexander, he'd picked the wrong topic. He did distract Alexander from his rapidly pounding heartbeat, but only because of the sinking feeling in his stomach.

He had planned on travelling with a friend, but Laurens had been called home by his father. He had been left with no choice but to abandon Alexander and return home. Alexander did not blame him: a family crisis was a family crisis. But he had left Alexander with no company, no plans and no understanding of how to navigate the strange planet.

"What are you doing when you get down?"

Alexander shrugged and forced a smile. "Same thing I always do. Wander around the corridors until I find the dormitory, maybe check the market."

Aaron's eyebrows rose. The smile on his face grew, then vanished. In a tone that was far too gentle for Alexander's liking, he said,

"You've never been on a planet before, have you?"

Even though he tried to hide it, Alexander's face gave him away. Once he realized his instinctual grimace had said everything he had not, he glared at Aaron . Aaron did not take the hint. That awful, careful patience in his expression was still there, as if he thought Alexander was something fragile. Alexander hated it.

"So what if I've never been on a planet before? What's so special about a hunk of rock?"

"There's no dorms on Earth," Aaron said. Alexander sent him a baffled look. "Communal dorms are a Centaurian idea. Comes with being such a communal species. Humans aren't like that, at least not when we've got the space to spread out. We didn’t start building them until we had interstellar travel, and most cities pre-date that."

Alexander stared at him, baffled. He'd heard life on Earth was different, but he'd always assumed it was propaganda. "You expect me to believe everyone can afford a house?"

"We learnt the hard way what happens when people can't," Aaron told him. There was a grim note in his voice, and Alexander wracked his brains for what that could mean. He loved history, but his formal education was patchy. He knew Earth had a long history of war. Beyond that, his knowledge failed him. He could ask Aaron, but that would mean admitting there was something he didn't know. Alexander kept his mouth shut and nodded. Aaron stared at him for a moment more before leaning back in his seat.

"You could come with me."

Alexander stared at him. The expression on Aaron's face was unchanged. The offer was genuine, if inexplicable and unprecedented. No matter now Alexander searched his face for some sign of deceit, he found none. Whatever Aaron's motives were, they were not malicious. Alexander considered the offer. The idea of exploring outside the city intrigued him. He'd always loved greenrooms on ships, with their neat rows of plants and running water. Plants were vital in space. Not only did they provide food and oxygen for the ships and stations, they provided recreation and comfort for the inhabitants. If he tried, Alexander could almost imagine a greenroom as far as the eye could see. The thought was an appealing one. 

"It would be nice to get out of the city," Alexander conceded. The shuttle gave one more great shudder, and then came to a complete halt. Alexander's heart pounded in his chest. He had no idea what would happen when he stepped off the shuttle, and he had never coped well with not knowing things.

To his relief, exiting the shuttle turned out to be an ordinary process. He stepped out into a hallway tiled with white, with blue carpet that ran the entire length of the corridor. The walls were reassuringly solid, and Alexander could almost pretend he was on a station. He followed Aaron down the hall and through customs, trying not to look awed by the display of flags surrounding a map of the Earth.

After clearing customs, they walked out into the public area of the airport. Crowds of people waited on the other side, holding signs and waving frantically as they searched for loved ones. Alexander ignored them. There had been a time when he would stare at such crowds with envy, but he had long grown out of that phase. He did not spare them even a glance. He intended to march right past them, but was (much to his irritation) forced to slow his step when Aaron slowed to scan the crowd.

It was not until they neared the exit that Aaron gave a shout. The shock made Alexander jump. In his two years of knowing Aaron, he had never heard him so much as raise his voice. He watched as Aaron dropped his bag and bolted over to one of the waving pairs of humans. Both humans were tall and favoured bright colours. The woman held out her arms, and Aaron met her in a tight embrace. She hugged him tight enough to lift him off his feet, but she put him back down after just a moment. This, too, stunned Alexander. Aaron had never been a tactile person. He'd limited himself to handshakes and the occasional pat on the shoulder, visibly tensing if anyone tried to initiate anything further. Yet he had shown no hesitation in running up to this woman. He clearly felt comfortable with her touch, beaming up at her with a bright smile. She grinned at him and said,

"You've gained weight. I thought people normally lost weight in space?"

"Most people don't start at the Academy three days after getting a hormone implant," Aaron countered. He turned back around and gestured to Alexander. The movement was a silent invitation, so Alexander shuffled forward.

"I invited a friend along. Alexander's plans fell through, and the website said the cabin sleeps four."

"Pleased to meet you, Alexander," the woman said, and shook his hand. She introduced herself as Theodosia. The man beside her went by the name Bellamy, and he started at Alexander with more curiosity than Alexander thought was necessary. The source of his interest was revealed a moment later.

"Are you the Alexander that kicked Aaron's ass at Flight Sim 718?"

Alexander nodded and braced himself for disapproval. Instead, he heard laughter. Bellamy patted him on the back, looking absolutely delighted.

"I owe you a drink. I've been trying to beat him for years, but every time I think I've got him cornered he finds a way to win."

"Well, he does have the silver medal," Alexander said. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Aaron glaring at the two of them. He was relieved to see most of Aaron's ire seemed to be directed at Bellamy, not himself: the last thing he needed was to anger Aaron at the start of their shore leave. He considered defending Aaron's skill further, but decided against it. Whatever their differences were, Alexander knew they were alike enough to know Aaron would not thank him for calling him second best.

"I've won half our matches," Aaron said. 

"You've won 43.2% of our matches," Alexander corrected. "That's not half."

"God, you're as bad as each other," Theodosia said. Alexander huffed and started to protest, but he said "I" just as Aaron said "he" in the exact same tone. A wince stole over Alexander's face. Bellamy snickered, and Theodosia looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"Let's get going," Aaron said. The change in topic was abrupt, but no one questioned it. Neither Aaron nor Alexander wanted to dwell on the topic, and Aaron's friends seemed content to exchange smug looks.

The transit station was underground, a thought which made sweat drip down the back of Alexander's neck. He wondered how many tons of steel and rock sat above him. The thought was an unpleasant one. The gravity here was not artificial: if the buildings above them collapsed, there was no failsafe to stop them tumbling down and crushing them. The thought made Alexander's breath catch in his throat. How did people stand it? None of the others seemed discomforted by the situation. Aaron seemed just as ease here as he did in the comfort of a space station, and Alexander could not help but hate him for it.

Alexander did not relax until the train was shot out into the open air. The ground speed past, turning their surroundings into a blur. Aaron turned and stared out the window. The smile that lit up his face seemed more childlike than normal, and it made something in Alexander's heart twist. The longer he watched, the more confused Alexander was. The buildings surrounding them seemed ugly and badly designed compared to the elegant towers growing from the arms of large space stations, but Aaron stared as if they were something beautiful. There were more plants than Alexander had ever seen in one place, but the train zipped past too quickly for him to take notice of them.

The station where they exited the train was underground. Alexander felt anxiety humming inside him as they took the elevator up to ground level. When they made it outside, he made it three steps before he stopped. The world opened before him. There was no comforting ceiling over his head, no glass and metal separating him and infinity. The sky stretched above him. He could feel the wind on his face, but he could have sworn there was no air to breathe. There couldn't be, not without a helmet or a ship surrounding him. Alexander swayed on the spot. His vision whited out, and spots of light and dark danced in front of his eyes. A dark shape floated in front of his vision, and he heard a sharp noise. Alexander blinked. Aaron's hand swam into focus, just in time to see Aaron snap his fingers again. Now that he was paying attention, he heard Aaron's voice.

"Look at me, Alexander. For once in your life, just listen."

Alexander opened his mouth, ready to argue. Despite his contrary nature, he found himself listening to Aaron's advice. He looked Aaron in the eyes. His eyes were as dark and distracting as always, but for once they were not completely unfathomable. Alexander thought he saw concern in those eyes. More importantly, he saw nothing but concern: no fear, no anxiety, nothing to suggest there was anything untoward with the situation. The observation was enough to ease the knot of anxiety in Alexander's stomach. Aaron was sensible. If they were in danger, he would be afraid. Instead, he was smiling at Alexander. He counted aloud, starting at ten and working backwards. After a moment, Alexander found he had synchronized his breathing with Aaron's counting. A moment later, he remembered there was no danger. Earth's atmosphere was stable, arguably more stable than that of a ship. He exhaled slowly. As he did, took stock of the situation. Alexander had stopped in the middle of the footpath, standing and quaking under the sky like some kind of idiot. Aaron was looking at him like he was something fragile, his smile patient and warm. The sight made irritation flare in Alexander's gut as he flushed with shame. How dare he treat Alexander with such gentle care?

"I'm fine," Alexander snapped. Aaron raised an eyebrow, but did not argue.

"Let's get going, then."

They said no more of Alexander's panic attack as they made their way down the street. They had rented a car, Theodosia told them. From context, Alexander guessed it must be a private car, not the kind of public transport most people relied on. It was parked in Theodosia's apartment building. It was a strange, hulking shape with a cabin boosted above a forward engine, nothing like the sleek and symmetric designs Alexander was used to. There was a storage compartment at the back that was already packed almost full, and it was only with patience that they managed to squeeze Alexander and Aaron's baggage along the boxes.

"You take the driver's seat, " Theodosia told Aaron. Aaron's face lit up.

"Do you mean - "

The grin on Theodosia's face was apparently answer enough, as Aaron dashed to the front of the vehicle and pulled the door open. Curious, Alexander climbed into the seat beside him. There was a wheel in front of the seat, as well as a dizzying array of lights and levers. Alexander stared in horror.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a real car," Aaron said, reverence in his voice. He stroked the wheel like it was something beautiful.

"Don't get too excited. You're not allowed to turn off the AI until we get off-road," Theodosia said. Behind them, Jon and Theodosia had climbed into the back seat. Alexander barely noticed. He was too busy staring at the wheel with wide eyes. He could feel a scream building in his chest. Turn off the AI, she said, like Aaron was going to take manual control of the vehicle.

"Don't tell me that's how you steer," he blurted. Aaron chuckled.

"Two dimensions are much easier to navigate than three. People have been steering like this for hundreds of years."

"Yes, and they crashed and died!"

Aaron ignored his protests, although Alexander was relieved to see he did not try to drive them backwards out of the car park. Instead, he tapped the button to activate the AI. The vehicle had been preprogrammed with their destination and drove them smoothly out of the garage. Aaron turned in his seat, looking perfectly at ease. He did not even glance out the front window, trusting the autopilot system to keep them safe.

A long car ride with strangers may have been awkward, but Alexander found himself at ease. Part of it had to do with Aaron. He was more relaxed and more talkative than Alexander had ever seen him. And his face! It was far from rare to see Aaron smile: he had a smile for every situation. But he had never seen him beam quite so brightly, and his smile was contagious. He was quick to laugh, too. His laughter started as a pretty, melodic sound, but his friends kept needling him until it dissolved into undignified snorts and wild giggles. More than once, Alexander found himself staring at Aaron with a peculiar warmth in his chest that brought a smile to his face. He felt strangely privileged to see this side of Aaron. Aaron had plenty of friends at the Concord Academy, but none of them had ever seen him like this.

Although he first grew to like Aaron's friends for the effect they had on the man, he soon found an abundance of other reasons to like them. Theodosia was witty, able to match him blow for blow in an argument without any apparent effort. It was as infuriating as it was gratifying. As much as Alexander loathed losing a debate, having an opportunity to talk with an intellectual equal was a rarity. Of the people he considered close to equal, all of them were people he knew well. To find it in someone new promised novel challenges. His only complaint was that Aaron had the unfortunate tendency to agree with Theodosia, meaning Alexander was often outnumbered.

Jon Bellamy may not have shared his friends' genius, but he was by no means an idiot. He knew how to read his friends moods, intervening whenever Alexander's needling strayed too close to dangerous topics. Even better, he used it to tease his friends. He delighted in sharing embarrassing stories from Aaron's past, especially if Alexander shared his own stories from the Academy. Aaron had been the only planet-based recruit not to vomit his guts out in their first antigrav simulation - but Alexander was delighted to learn that was not his first time in zero gravity. The first time, according to Bellamy, he had cried. In Aaron's defence, he had been six at the time, and there had been some misunderstanding about what zero gravity entailed - but Alexander cared about none of that. Aaron had cried. It was gratifying to know that even Aaron was overwhelmed by some things. In return for Bellamy's stories, Alexander told him the secret to beating Aaron in combat simulations.

"You've got to think outside the box. If it's been done, he knows how to counter it."

"The risks you take would be unacceptable in a real combat scenario," Aaron hissed. His protest made Alexander laugh.

"Ridiculous. Risk is how you win."

"Calculated risk."

Alexander shrugged. "If I know you're going to shoot me, I'd rather take the risk."

The two of them bickered in this vein for nearly an hour. At noon they stopped for lunch in a small country town with scarcely a dozen buildings. The locals stared almost as much as Alexander. He and Aaron stood out, for their posture and mannerisms as much for their crisp blue uniforms. Aaron stared at their surroundings with a benevolent smile, while Alexander gawked. If not for a few subtle intrusions of modern life, he might have stepped back in time. None of the people passing by appeared to have any concern for modern fashion. No one had dyed their hair colours unnatural to humans. To Alexander's eyes, the clothing choices were conservative: practical for a human, but without any bursts of colour or extraneous details that tended to dominate galactic fashion. The torso was always covered, and usually the arms and legs. Most tellingly of all, every last person he saw was plain, Earth-standard human. As ordinary as it must seem to Aaron and his friends, the situation was entirely alien to Alexander. 

The cafe they stopped at was small and cluttered, filled with mismatched chairs and decor. The menu included coffee and teas, as well as soups, salads, sandwiches and pies. It seemed a terribly short menu to Alexander, but he knew better than to complain. When his turn came to order, he echoed Aaron's choice. Food had never bothered Alexander. He was perfectly content with nutrition bars from the fabrication units on every ship and station. He had learnt to be content with it. Much of his youth had been spent on alien stations unused to catering for humans, and basic nutrition had been all the fabricators had been able to provide. Even after that had changed, it was hard to be excited about more elaborate meals when he knew they were produced by the same machine as his tasteless nutrition bars.

By the time the food arrived, Alexander was fidgeting in his seat. It took more than twice the time he was used to waiting for food, but none of the others seemed perturbed. He chalked it up to quaint Earth habits and forced himself to sit patiently. When the food came out, he stared at his plate in astonishment. He and Aaron had ordered the exact same thing, but their meals were not identical. The toasted sandwich on Aaron's plate was a little darker around the edges, while Alexander's was oozing cheese out the side. The accompanying soup did not look like the perfectly smooth liquid he was used to, and when he tasted it the flavours burst across his tongue. After the first mouthful, he put the spoon down and examined the soup with a critical eye. Alexander knew what tomato soup tasted like. But he could have sworn this one tasted like lemon and basil and a hint of something smokey. He did not look up until he heard Aaron speak.

"Do you know how long it's been since I had real food?"

When Alexander looked up, the look on his face was pure bliss. The comment confused Alexander.

"It's not like they just feed us nutrition bars," he protested. "Last night was pasta."

"Right. The same pasta we've eaten every Wednesday for two years," Aaron said. "The exact same, every week, down to the smallest details. The noodles are even in the exact same place."

"Of course," Alexander said, looking at him in complete befuddlement. "As opposed to what?"

"This!"

Alexander stared at his sandwich with new respect. "This didn't come from a replicator?"

"Earth is big enough that it's cheaper to grow food naturally," Theodosia told him.

The next bite Alexander took of his meal was slow, almost revenant. There might never be another meal exactly like this one. After a lifetime of food from replicators with every last atom specified with mathematical precision, the idea was almost intimidating. Even though stations grew fresh produce, organic food sold at a premium. Alexander scrimped and saved every last credit he got, so he had never known the luxury of natural food.

As they ate, Aaron and his friends tried to explain food production to Alexander. Their attempts left him with more questions than answers. It was all well and good to say cheese came from milk, but how? They knew the barest outline of the process, but all three of them had been raised in the city. Farms were barely more familiar to them than they were to Alexander.

After lunch the four of them piled back into the car. Alexander would have been content to sit and talk the afternoon away, but Aaron had other ideas. They stopped three different times: once at a bakery, once at a cheese factory, and once at a winery. At each stop, they went on a tour of the facility. The bakery taught them how to knead their own dough, and the winery offered them dainty little glasses of wine that had all been prepared differently. Aaron abstained from the latter. The refusal puzzled Alexander, as he had seen Aaron drink wine plenty of times before. They left each facility with bags full of locally made produce.

As strange as the situation was, Alexander found himself relaxing. This world may be foreign to him, but Aaron and his friends were good company. His ease vanished when Aaron took the wheel of the car. The others seemed unperturbed by the sight of him straightening in his seat and adjusting the mirrors. Alexander gripped the edge of his seat so hard his knuckles turned white. When Aaron switched off autopilot, he closed his eyes and waited for a crash. None came. After a moment, he opened his eyes. They were still on the highway, hurtling forward as though nothing had changed. It seemed Aaron had not been lying when he said he knew how to drive.

Alexander's anxiety spiked again when Aaron took them off-road and into the forest beside the highway. It eased off as he realised they were not completely off road. There was a bumpy dirt track that Aaron was following that lead them deep into the woods. As Alexander's anxiety faded, his enthusiasm grew. He stared out the window at the forest in awe. He'd never seen so many trees before. He'd never even imagined that they could grow so tall and so numerous to form a ceiling of leaves. The sunlight trickled through the leaves, leaving indicate and ever - shifting patterns of light and shadow.

Half an hour passed before they reached a building by the lake. Aaron had described the building as a cabin, but to Alexander's eyes it looked like a mansion. The building was two stories tall, built from glass and wood and stone. The side facing the lake was mostly glass, providing spectacular views of the water. That, too, amazed and terrified Alexander. He knew that nearly 80% of the earth's surface was water, although it had once been less. He'd seen photos of the ocean before. He'd dismissed them as boring, not having any clue about the grand scales involved. Even seeing the Earth from orbit had not affected him like this. He stared at the lake in awe and terror. The surface was smooth and calm and stretched as far as he could see. He could just barely make out what looked to be the other side of the lake, though he could not comprehend the distance. While the others unpacked the car, Alexander stood and stared at the lake. It was not until Bellamy called his name that he remembered to help unpack.

Inside the house, they found a large open-plan living and dining area. The kitchen was quickly filled with all the food they had brought, although Alexander had no idea how to prepare any of it. The bathroom was luxurious, containing an actual bath that looked big enough to fit at least three. Upstairs they found another bathroom, along with two bedrooms. One room contained two single beds, while the larger one held the largest bed Alexander had ever seen. There was no fourth bed. Bellamy groaned and smacked his own forehead at the sight.

"I specifically asked about this, and they said it wouldn't be an issue."

"It's fine," Aaron said, pushing past them. He kept his face turned from them at all times. The observation puzzled Alexander. Aaron was mysterious enough at the best of times. Surely he didn't need to hide his face so plainly. But that was exactly what he did as he took the long way around the room and placed his things at the end of the bed.

"I've shared with all of you at some point. You three can draw straws over who has to join me."

It was only then the problem clicked. There were four people and three beds. He tried not to cringe, all too aware that this would not be a problem if he had not joined them at the last minute. If they blamed him, they showed no signs of it. Bellamy fetched some toothpicks from the kitchen and broke one in half. He put two toothpicks and one of the half length picks in his hand and held them out. Theodosia drew first. The pick she pulled was a full length toothpick. Looking very satisfied with herself, she took her things through to the room with two beds.

Alexander drew the short straw. Bellamy patted him on the shoulder and wished him luck with sharing with Aaron. As well intentioned as the words were, Alexander found them unnerving. He had shared a dormitory with Aaron for the past several months without problems. He did not snore or talk in his sleep. He kept his sleeping area clean, and there were never any peculiar smells from his corner of the room. What could Aaron do in the same bed that Alexander would need luck to deal with?

He could feel Aaron's eyes on him as he crossed the room and placed his belongings on the remaining side of the bed.

"Now what?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm going for a swim."

Alexander's face dropped. At Aaron's questioning look, he pointed out,

"Not exactly a lot of pools on space stations."

"Then we'll find somewhere for you to sit nearby," Aaron said with a shrug. "I'll meet you downstairs. I need to get changed."

Downstairs, Alexander passed the time by exploring the massive indoor space available to them. He found a cupboard full of old fashioned board games, as well as several shelves full of paper books. These held Alexander's attention for some time. Paper books were a precious rarity in space. One of his most treasured possessions was a book his mother had given him as a child. It was a simplistic story, too simplistic for Alexander to enjoy even as a child, but the physical object meant the world to him.

Aaron was the first downstairs, clad only in a pair of shorts and a thin white t-shirt. He took a moment to take some towels from the linen closet before leading Alexander down to the lake. There was a protrusion of rocks that jutted out into the lake where no trees grew. It looked like the perfect sunny spot to sit. Alexander carefully picked his way out to the largest, flattest rock and made himself uncomfortable. By the time he turned around, Aaron had already submerged himself in the water. Alexander's heart skipped a beat. Aaron emerged a moment later, his face turned to the sky like a flower following the sun.

"What's it like, being underwater?"

"Like zero-G, but heavier."

Alexander pulled a face. "That's a stupid answer. There's no weight in zero-G."

"Put your hand in the water," Aaron said. When he didn't explain himself further, Alexander rolled up his sleeves and obeyed. The water was cool and still. When he swirled his fingers, he felt the usual slight resistance.

"Swimming is just propelling yourself by pushing the water. You can't do that in air."

"That's relative density, not weight," Alexander bickered. Aaron shrugged.

"Maybe so. But you can feel it all around you, and it's quiet. Not as quiet as a vacuum, but quiet. It's peaceful."

Alexander took another look at Aaron. As strange as his words sounded, there did seem to be something peaceful about this place. Aaron, in particular, seemed at peace. His expression was relaxed, so much so that his trademark smile looked more like an afterthought than a deliberate decision. For the first time, Alexander understood why so many of his fellow Academy students swooned over that smile. When he was not doing his best to crush Alexander academically, Aaron was gorgeous. He pushed the realisation aside as quickly as it came. This was not the kind of revelation Alexander wanted to have.

After a few minutes, Bellamy and Theodosia came down. Both of them joined Aaron in the lake. The three of them paddled around the rocks, talking and laughing and occasionally splashing each other. Bellamy in particular had a mischievous streak. He took great pleasure in catching Aaron off guard. Alexander learnt to watch for the glint in his eye that warned Aaron was about to be sprayed with water or pulled beneath the surface. Coming from anyone else, Alexander was certain Aaron would not have tolerated it. But Bellamy seemed to have a free pass. Apart from the occasional shout of surprise, Aaron did not raise his voice at his friend even once. Half the time he was laughing as he came back up for air. It was not until Aaron turned around and tackled Bellamy into the water with no warning that Alexander realized Aaron shared the same mischievous streak. Bellamy let out a high pitched squeal. The two of them crashed into the water with a spectacular splash. The initial fall was not the end of it. The two friends spent a good few minutes splashing and wrestling each other, filling the air with shouts and laughter. Alexander stared enviously. If he ignored the terror that came with the idea of being fully submerged, it looked like great fun.

The four of them spent hours by the lake. Much to his own surprise, Alexander did not find himself bored for even an instant. Aaron and his friends made for good company, and when he tired of socialising, there was plenty to think about. There were flying insects flitting back and forth across the lake of a dozen different species. Aaron and Jon would start play fighting again, or else found other contests to entertain themselves. Birds flew overhead, chattering and squawking and making all kinds of noise. Some of them made sounds close enough to alien speech that his translator kept trying to translate fragments of noise. Once he identified the problem, he turned it off. The change was deafening. Without the translator smoothing the sounds to make them more comprehensible to a human ear, Alexander could hear the sheer chaos of in the cacophony around him. The bird noises were sharp and random. The insects buzzed, and he found himself listening to the soft sound of the waves lapping against the shore.

Most interesting of all was how it changed human speech. The translator smoothed out accents, making deviations in the same language sound familiar to the listener. As a result, Alexander had missed how different Bellamy and Theodosia sounded compared to what he thought of was normal. Space-English was a fast paced language. Early astronauts had mostly been military and tended not to be overly verbose. That had changed when civilians began to settle, but the concise, almost curt way of speaking had stuck. It had evolved again when humanity finally caught on to the secret of faster- than - light travel and joined the rest of the galaxy.

(It was not, strictly speaking, faster light. Alexander loathed the colloquialism, but no one understood him when he spoke about hyper-manifold skimming and the curvature of spacetime.)

Once humanity had stepped out of the sol system and into the wider galaxy, they had found it teaming with life. There were hundreds of space-faring species. Most were content to stay in their local star cluster, but a few ventured out and made their home in the sky. Humanity was one such species. They joined the other species exploring the galaxy, joining the Galactic Concord and contributing to the net knowledge and resources of the galaxy.

Doing so necessitated a translator, but even the best translators on the market were not perfect. Humanity had retained certain sounds most species had lost. All species kept some kind of communication quirk, but humans had kept a multitude across hundreds of languages. Translators tended to render such sounds as noise or gibberish. It became good manners to avoid such sounds to avoid irritating other species, while other sounds became more prominent. Alexander dropped his 'h's and rolled his 'r's more often than an ordinary English speaker would, and a few foreign words had crept into his vocabulary. It was not something Alexander had given any thought to until he heard Aaron talking to his friends. Bellamy and Theodosia lengthened their vowels and used anachronistic forms of verbs. They were speaking proper English, not the hybrid language Alexander had learnt. The cadence of their speech was unlike anything he had ever heard.

Listening to Aaron was even more fascinating. When talking to his friends, he sounded much the same as they did. The fluctuations in his tone followed more familiar patterns, but the words and rhythm were all wrong. That changed the minute he addressed Alexander. The pace of his speech picked up, and the long slow vowels were placed with more familiar bursts. If Alexander hadn't known, he might not have even realized his translator was off. The only giveaway was how Aaron pronounced his name. Alexander had always liked his name, but it had never seemed particularly beautiful to him. But Alexander found himself enchanted by the low, melodic way Aaron pronounced his name. Alexander could have listened to it all day without complaint.

Listening to the others entertained Alexander until the sun started to set. The sunset distracted him entirely. He watched in awed silence at the multitude of colours which spread across the sky. The reflection of the sunset glimmered on the lake, and Alexander thought he had never seen something quite so beautiful.

"I've missed this," Aaron said. As soft as the words were, they made Alexander start. He'd entirely missed Aaron leaving the water. He'd already pulled his shirt back on, and he seemed to have been sitting beside Alexander for some time. He gave Alexander a small smile before returning his gaze to the sky. It was not until the last of the sun had dipped below the horizon that Aaron stood up.

"Come on, let's head in. I'm being eaten alive out here."

"Um," Alexander said, making no attempt to hide his alarm. Aaron laughed. He kept laughing as they made their way back to the house, doubled over with mirth. Once there, he leaned against the door frame and grinned at Alexander.

"Mosquitos, Alexander. I was complaining about mosquitos."

"I thought they'd been eradicated."

"Three times, but they keep coming back," Aaron said. He reached an arm back over his head and scratched at the back of his neck. "They'll have gone for you, too. Theo should have anti itch cream if you need it, she was in charge of the first aid kit."

The idea that he might need a first aid kit concerned Alexander. If mosquitoes were so prevalent, surely they couldn't be that big a deal. Nevertheless, the thought worried Alexander, and he hurried inside after Aaron. 

Theodosia and Bellamy had both gone ahead of them, sneaking off when Alexander had been distracted by the sunset. Bellamy was hard at work in the kitchen, and Theodosia sat on a bar stool and chatted happily. There were several bottles in front of her, one of which she raised in silent invitation. At Aaron's nod, she mixed them two elaborate drinks. Alexander accepted his eagerly. He'd drunk his way through the standard drink menu that came with most replicators, and he was eager to try something new. The drink was sweet and boozy with a strong taste of mint. Alexander liked it immediately. He joined Theodosia at the bar while Aaron took himself into the kitchen. He claimed to be helping, but Alexander had his doubts. Bellamy kept a close eye on his every movement, and he seemed to get in the way as often as not. His shirt was stained with oil and spices within minutes, but Aaron didn't seem to care.

With Aaron busy, Theodosia kept Alexander entertained until dinner was on the table. They traded stories about their respective homes, although Alexander was sure to carefully sanitize his. Parts of his background were alarming to most people. He could only imagine how much worse the alarm would be for someone who lived on this planet, one of the safest places in the galaxy. It was one thing to tell his friends about travelling to distant stars; it was another thing entirely to tell them about hostile species and pirates, or the long, lonely hours Alexander had spent in quarantine after contacting a mysterious alien illness. Theodosia did not miss the holes in his story, but nor did she pry. She diverted the conversation around sensitive topics as they came up, redirecting them to more neutral interests. She told him about the house she grew up in and how much she missed its rambling garden and old world charm. In return, Alexander taught her about green rooms on ships. Nearly every ship and station designed for habitation had one at least one. Plants covered every surface. Creeping vines crawled up the walls and across support beams set into the ceiling. The floor had narrow pathways for visitors, but most of the space was taken up by raised garden beds. The nature of the plants varied from station to station. Different species preferred different flora, and water consumption was often a limiting factor. Many greenrooms were designed to provide food as well as purified air, and the psychological benefits could not be overstated.

"They make us take three hours of recreation there a week," Aaron complained when he overheard their conversation.

"You're the first to complain about it."

"I wouldn't mind if I wasn't rostered on at the same time as Seabury. He gives me a headache."

"Transfer to my time then," Alexander suggested. The words were out of his mouth before he realised what he was saying. Aaron looked up at him with surprise. Before he could be questioned, Alexander plunged on.

"I know I give you a headache, but I'm miles better than Seabury."

"That isn't a hard bar to pass, " Aaron said, but there was a small smile on his face. "Unfortunately your rec time clashes with my xenolinguistics course."

"That's what you get for picking a stupid course," Alexander sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Theodosia and Bellamy exchange a look. Aaron's face settled into a rigid smile.

"We learn seven languages. More, if we're good. I don't see what's so easy about that."

"I'm not saying it's easy," Alexander said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm saying it's pointless. Translators exist for a reason, Aaron. You could be studying how to navigate hyper-manifold space, or first contact protocols, or learning how to actually shoot."

"76% of diplomatic incidents are caused by language or cultural barriers. 90% of those could have been avoided with a competent multilingual cultural expert. Besides, plugging into a manifold computer always gives me a headache."

Alexander gave a judgemental snort at that. "If the training sim gives you a headache, a real manifold computer would probably kill you. I couldn't walk for a week the first time I used one."

"You're not old enough to have used one," Aaron protested, at the same time as Bellamy asked,

"Why couldn't you walk?"

"Forgot about legs. Thought I could just punch a dimensional loop between the maintenance bay and the toilets."

Alexander kept his tone light and cheerful, but he was all too aware of Aaron's eyes watching his every move. There was something terribly knowing in his expression. It was not hard to guess what it was. Aaron would know Alexander could not have been old enough to legally pilot a ship. Not only that, but he was shrewd enough to guess that Alexander could not have had standard safety procedures active. Disorientation was common, but there was a world between dizziness and forgetting about legs. He was all too close to guessing the truth: that Alexander's background was a lot darker than he generally let on. He could barely stomach contempt, and Alexander would rather die than have someone look at him with pity. He changed the topic abruptly.

"I'm hoping to get stationed on an exploration class ship when I graduate. Admiral Washington's Patriot should be done by then."

"But then you'd have to work with Admiral Washington," Aaron pointed out with a grimace. At Alexander's outraged spluttering, Aaron outlined his reasons for disliking one of the most decorated human admirals in history. He was excessively strict, he claimed, with a foul temper. His blatant favouritism had stunted the careers of several people Aaron respected. Worst of all, Aaron claimed, his favouritism often followed old Earth prejudices that had no place in the modern universe. 

Alexander did not take this news well. He had met exactly Washington once, as a teenager, and he had made a big impression. He was the very image of what Alexander aimed to be. To hear someone denigrate that (worse, to hear it from someone he liked and respected) was a painful blow. After a few minutes, Theodosia intervened and changed the topic. Aaron took the hint, and there was no more awkwardness for the rest of the evening.

It was not until he retired to bed that Alexander remembered his sleeping situation. He was the first to bed, intentionally leaving Aaron some time to talk with his friends alone. Sleep did not come easy. Alexander had spent his life surrounded by the steady hum of engines. Depending on where he was sleeping, he might also have to contend with footsteps or gurgling pipes. For the first time, he was confronted by near silence. Apart from the occasional sound of wild animals outside, he could hear nothing. The stretching silence terrified Alexander. He did not sleep a wink until Aaron came through to bed. The other man was a surprising comfort. He was not loud, but the sound of his breathing was a steady, repetitive sound for Alexander to fall asleep to.

Alexander woke the next morning to sunlight in his face. It took him a few moments to process that thought. When he did, he grinned. He had never thought he would enjoy being chained to the rhythms of a planet, but there was something attractive about the idea of rising with the sun.

Despite the quiet of night, Alexander had slept well. The sound of Aaron's breathing kept him soundly asleep through his own tossing and turning. It did have a downside: he had ended up with Aaron curled up against his side. His face was tucked into the crook of his neck. Each breath tickled against Alexander's collarbone, a thought that made him pull away roughly. It did not take a genius to see where that train of thought was going, and Alexander had no interest in complicating his feelings. He pushed the thought aside.

In the bathroom Alexander found a shower with twice the space he was used to. Earth had less restrictions on water usage than a station, and Alexander revelled in the luxury of an hour long shower. By the time he emerged, the bed he had shared with Aaron was empty.

He found Aaron downstairs in the kitchen. He sat at the kitchen bench with a large mug of coffee and one of the paper books Alexander had been so delighted by the night before. Alexander took a moment to appreciate the sight. He had never seen Aaron so quietly content. A new kind of hunger curled in Alexander's chest, but he could not figure out exactly what he wanted. A part of him wanted to steal some measure of Aaron's happiness for himself, that much was certain; but that would not quench the curious ache in Alexander's chest. He wanted this moment to stretch on forever. Failing that, he wanted to have this unfamiliar peace every day.

No matter what Alexander wished, the moment could not last forever. Aaron looked up at him and smiled.

"There's a proper espresso machine on the counter if you want coffee."

"My caffiene implant started flowing an hour ago, but I won't say no to the real thing."

Aaron shook his head as he closed his book. "You can't rely on implants for everything, Alexander."

"Sure you can. That's the point of enhancements, isn't it?

"Too many are dangerous. We don't even know the long term effects. There's no point in getting technology surgically implanted for something you can handle yourself."

"Luddite."

The grimace on Aaron's face did nothing to hide his frustration, nor the amusement bordering on affection glittering in his eyes. "I'm not a technophobe, Alexander. I've got nearly a dozen implants myself. But I'm not about to go out and get a caffeine implant when coffee suits me just fine."

"I'm on 33, as near as we can tell," Alexander countered. A few were standard implants, likely the same ones Aaron had: his translator, standard technology connection ports, and a host of medical adjustments and enhancements. He also had his caffiene implant, muscle and endurance support, an alcohol purifier to prevent hangovers, and reproductive control. The human body was resilient, but it could always be improved. 

"As near as you can tell?" Aaron asked. "You mean you've lost count? "

"I spent some time out of Concorde controlled space. They didn't always tell me what they were sticking in me."

Alexander braced himself for pity. Aaron was smart: he wouldn't miss the fact that Alexander had had no say in what happened. But instead of the platitudes and expressions of sympathy Alexander had expected, Aaron reached out and touched his arm.

"I won't pry. But if you ever want to talk, I'm told I'm a good listener."

Before Alexander could process those words, Aaron pulled away and walked over to the fridge. He pulled out a handful of ingredients from both the fridge and the cupboard before looking over at Alexander with a grin.

"Want to learn how to make pancakes?"

Cooking was not a skill Alexander had any particular interest in, but it was a welcome distraction. He nodded. It turned out to be a much more involved process than Alexander had anticipated. Watching Bellamy cook the previous night had made look like a natural, easy thing to do. Everything he had needed had been set out and measured on the bench before him, and he had seemed to know what steps to follow without instruction. It quickly became clear this was not a result of cooking being easy, but a testament to Bellamy's talent. Like Bellamy, Aaron started by pulling out and measuring ingredients. Unlike Bellamy, Aaron kept having to return to the fridge or cupboard to get ingredients he had forgotten. He knocked his little dish of sugar over twice and spilled milk over the bench. By the time Theodosia came downstairs, the two of them were covered in flour. Aaron grinned sheepishly at her.

"Good morning. I'm teaching Alexander how to make pancakes."

"Last time you tried to teach someone to cook we had to call the fire department."

"That was one time!" Aaron protested. "The stove wouldn't light. What was I supposed to do?"

"He tried to light the stove with a high powered laser," Theodosia told Alexander. Alexander snorted. He may have known nothing about cooking, but even he could tell that was a dreadful idea. The snort turned into outright laughter when Theodosia continued,

"He burned off one of his eyebrows and scorched the roof of my apartment. He's lucky he didn't hurt himself more."

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" Aaron asked.

"Not until you give me something new to torment you for. Now come on. Let's see if that stove is working."

"I've got a laser in my bag if not," Alexander quipped, earning snickering from Theodosia and a glare from Aaron.

The stove was, thankfully, in perfect working order. Aaron poured a small amount of batter into the pan. They watched as it spread out in a perfect circle. All was well until Aaron tried to turn the pancake. The spatula caught halfway under it, folding the pancake in half. When Aaron tried to flip it over it spilt, raw batter oozing out the sides. Aaron stared at it in dismay. There was something about the sight of Aaron covered in flour and staring at the pan in defeat that brought a grin to Alexander's face. It was not satisfaction in seeing his rival fail. It was a softer emotion than that, something fragile and tender Alexander could not understand. It must be a side effect of being planetside, Alexander decided. Too long with his feet on the ground was doing his head in.

Bellamy came down shortly after Aaron slid his pancake off the pan and straight into the bin. He stared at the three of them crowded around the stove with such an exhausted expression Alexander felt like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar.

"At least you've still got your eyebrows this time."

"That happened once!"

****

Despite Aaron forcing him to disconnect from the internet, Alexander found himself entertained all day long. Aaron in particular proved to be excellent company. He spent nearly the entire day by Alexander's side, bickering and laughing in equal measure. He seemed to take special joy in introducing Alexander to new things. This worked out well for both of them, as almost everything about living on Earth was new to Alexander. Under ordinary circumstances, that might have made him anxious, but it was hard to be afraid when Aaron was there beside him, smiling. The only break he had from Aaron's company came after lunch, when Aaron slipped off into the forest alone.

"He's fine," Theodosia said. "Quit fretting. I need a chess partner."

"Aaron likes privacy," Bellamy added. "Has done since we were kids. He never complains, but I think he finds the lack of privacy in space uncomfortable."

Alexander's heart sank. He thought of their queen sized bed that they shared and silently cursed himself for stealing that little luxury from Aaron. Alexander did not often experience regret for his actions, but he could not help but wonder how much Aaron resented his presence.

Despite Alexander's worries, Aaron was in high spirits when he returned. He took the seat beside Alexander and joined the conversation as if he'd never been gone.

Aaron's solitary walk became a daily occurrence. It was almost the only time he spent separated from Alexander. Even when he went swimming, he stuck to the shallows where he could still talk to Alexander. He talked more than Alexander had ever known him to in the three years they had known each other. Part of it was the effect of his friends, but Aaron was still talkative even if Bellamy and Theodosia were not around. This new, talkative Aaron delighted Alexander. It was his first real insight into who Aaron was as a person, and Alexander quickly found he liked him very much. Aaron was charming, and witty, and not as arrogant as Alexander had once assumed. His talents Alexander recognised as gifts, not an affront to Alexander's own skills. Perhaps the most alarming change was that Alexander no longer found most of Aaron's flaws frustrating: he found them endearing. He was stubborn and clumsy and beyond useless when tired, but instead of taunting him Alexander felt his heart swell with affection. To Alexander's dismay, it was not a feeling he could control. It came and went regardless of Alexander's own desires, until he found himself addicted to the thrill of Aaron smiling at him.

Before long, Theodosia and Bellamy began to develop strange new behaviours. At times they would exchange a meaningful look, full of raised eyebrows and hidden meaning, before sneaking off and leaving him alone with Aaron. Alexander's first thought was that they were sleeping together. This was quickly disproved: they were always in a public space when they reunited, and Theodosia made it plain she had little interest in men.

Whatever the cause of the strange behaviour, Alexander felt he had little reason to complain. Aaron's company was more than pleasant. If anything, he was even more enjoyable to be around when they were alone. He would sometimes touch Alexander's hand, or let their legs bump under the table. He let Alexander sit as close as he pleased. Nor did he seem unhappy with the situation. He would grin at Alexander, sheepish but undeniably delighted. It was an expression that never failed to fill Alexander's heart with glee.

On their final night together, Aaron led Alexander out to the lake. They walked around the edge until they found a pier. At the end of the pier, Alexander was amazed to find candles, two glasses, and a bottle of fine wine. It was not a synthesized bottle. The label was scratched and old, and the year on the label was half a decade past. They sat, legs dangling over the edge of the pier. Aaron poured them each a glass of wine, and the pair sat in silence and watched the stars and shimmering satellites above.

Aaron's fingers brushed against Alexander's own. A moment later, he had threaded their fingers together. Alexander held his breath. When Aaron neither spoke nor removed his hand, Alexander risked a sideways glance. Aaron had not looked away from the sky, but the smile on his face was brighter than Alexander had ever seen it. Alexander looked back to the sky with a grin. He squeezed Aaron's hand. When he grew bored of the sky, he turned his attention to the man behind him. He looked down at their joined hands and mustered his courage. When Aaron turned to look at him, Alexander leaned in and kissed him. His lips were warm and soft against Alexander's own. He took only a moment to respond. When he did, he leaned into Alexander with a happy little sigh. Alexander wrapped his free arm around him. Every cell in his body screamed that this was right. This was what he had been missing without even knowing it, and now that he had it, he could never let it go.

When he finally pulled back, Aaron was grinning. "I've had a crush on you for months now. "

"No way," Alexander said. He stared at Aaron in amazement. "I thought you hated me."

"You do drive me mad," Aaron told him, "but in a good way. Usually."

"Usually! " Alexander protested, but before he could get any further Aaron kissed him again. Of all the ways people had tried to distract Alexander from talking, this had to be his favourite. He whined in the back of his throat when Aaron pulled back and chased after him, kissing him twice more before he let him escape.

"Is that why you invited me to come here with you?"

Aaron shook his head frantically. "No. I invited you because you're my friend. I didn't think you were interested in anything else."

"I didn't know anything else was on offer," Alexander said. He looked down at their joined hands. "There is more on offer, right? This isn't some kind of Earthside fling?"

"I think we could be good together," Aaron said, and squeezed Alexander's hand gently. "If you'd like to be."

"I want to be."

Aaron smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "Then we will be."

Alexander kissed back, and for the first time he understood why it was people loved the Earth.


End file.
